Improvement in automatic seed-separator



M. M. HOWELL.

Grain Winnower.

Patented April 20, 1869.

N. PEIERS MLRhognphar, Wash W fitatm MARK M. ROWELL, OF BRANDON, WISCONSIN.

Letters Patent No. 89,081, dated April 20, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARK M. RownLL, of Bram don, in the county of Fond du Lac, and State of Wisconsin, have invented an Improved Automatic Seed Separator and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference .being bad to the accompanying drawings and letters marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which' v Figure 1 is perspective representation of my improved fautomatic seed-separator.

Figure 2, a longitudinal central section of the same.

Figure 3, a transverse section of the lower end of the separator, taken through fig. 2, on the line a: m,

Figure 4, an enlarged view of the rod, used to tighten the sieves, or screens.

The nature of the present invention consists in so combining an overshot-wheel with a seed-separator that the seed falling from the shoe-will propel the wheel, and cause it, when operated in combination with suitable gearing, to give an oscillating motiouto the sieves, or screens, through which the grain passes, and so arranging the shoe, frame-work, wheel, and gearing that the shoe may be adjusted to any desired inclination without changing its position relative to the wheel; and, further, in providing means for so straining the sieves, or screens, that the grain shall pass evenly over their entire surfaces.

A A represent a substantial frame, which may have any convenient form, for supporting the separator, except the form of those parts hereinafter described.

Frepresents a. trough, which is made about four times as long as it is wide, and deep enough to receive a shoe, G, and leave a suitable space between its bottom part P, fig. 2, and the sieves, or screens H H, for grain to pass down the incline, and room enough at the sides of the shoe for it to have a suitable oscillating movement.

-At the upper end of this trough is placed a hopper, V, with a suitable slide, Y, to regulate the quantity of grain which is to be cleaned in a given time.

lassing under-the hopper V, and extending downward and to the screens H H, is an apron, N, which is fastened to the" trough F, and to which the said screens are'pivoted, as seen at W, fig. 2.

No'novelty is claimed in the construction of the shoe G, except the stretcher-rod M, which is placed between the screens H H, and is so arranged, by means of a screw-thread and a flange, or collar 0, that when the end (I, projecting outside of the shoe, is turned with a wrench, the framework to which the screens are attached will be drawn apart, and thus so strain the screens as to prevent them from sagging by the weight of the grain.

The upper end of the trough F is hinged to a crosspiece, B, attached to frame A, figs. l and 2, and its lower end is made adjustable by means'of a set-screw, R, put. through a cross-piecc, B, attached to frame A,

and arranged to operateagainst the under side of the trough legs A, at the lower end of the separator, projecting upward far enough to support the trough,

and operating as guides when it is being raised and lowered.

Attached to the sides of the trough I fig. 1, are two depending supports b, which have bearings formed in them to receive the shaft of n ordinary overshotwheel, J, which is used as the power to give an oscillating motion to the shoe G.

To accomplish this a throat, oropening n, fig. 2, is made through the trough F, near itsv lower end, through which the grain passes to the wheel J, and to prevent seed from passing over at the end of the trough, a board, or strip L, is placed transversely with it, and fastened to its sides and bottom.

The gearing for operating the shoe consists of a wheel, 0, fig. 1, which drives a pulley, T, by means of a belt, vt, and consequently puts in motion the connecting-rod S, in the usual manner.

It will be seen from this description that the depending supports 1) hold the trough h in the same position relative to the wheel J, notwithstanding it is raised or lowered by the set-screw R. I

This arrangement isnecessary; otherwise than this the shoe G could not be adjusted to clean damp and dry grain, as the buckets K of the wheel J must necessarily occupy about the same position relatively to thethroat, or opening a. 4

The shoe G is suspended near its lower end with straps E E, pivoted to a substantial frame, I) O, which is'attached to the outside of the trough F, as shown at fig. 1, no adjustment of the shoe relative to the trough being necessary, in view of the adjustment made by the set-screw R, as above described.

The operation is very simple, requiring only that the separator be placed in a convenient position for turning grain into the hopper V, and conveying it, itfter it leaves the wheel J, into a suitable receptac c.

It is proper to state here that the separator is not designed for chafling grain, but for. separating different kinds of seeds, and for this purpose it is to he used, more especially in warehouses, mills, &c.

Having thus described my invention, i What I claim, and'desir'e to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination of the shoe G, trough F, and wheel J, constructed and arranged as and for the purpose set forth. v

2. The shoe G, screens H H, and'stretcher-rod M, the latter being arrangedto strain the screens, asand for the purpose set forth.

3. The trough F, hinged to the cross-piece B, in combination with the shoe G, frame D O, straps E E, legs .A, whcel J, depending supports 1), set screw R, and cross-piece B, as and for the purpose set forth.

, MARK M. HOWELL. Witncsses:

S. F. PAUL,

O. W. FERGUSON. 

